o prevent her escape to this country. Once on board and safely
out of sight of Cuba, she confessed her secret to the stewardess, who
gave her some woman's clothes, and took care of her until she was safely
landed in New York.

One of the New York papers, _The Journal_, claims the credit for the
young girl's rescue, and states that the two men who freed her from her
prison were reporters sent out from the paper to do the work. It is to
be hoped that this is not true, for while we must sympathize with all
unfortunate prisoners, we have no right to break open the jails of
another country and free her criminals. If this story is true, Spain has
a just cause of complaint against us.

* * * * *

Senor Sagasta has published the contents of the note presented to him by
General Woodford, and which was said by so many people to be practically
a declaration of war. It turns out to have been merely a polite inquiry
as to how much longer the war was going to last, and whether Spain saw a
possibility of bringing it to a speedy close.

The Spanish Cabinet has not yet decided what answer shall be made to
this note, but it is thought that Senor Sagasta will make a statement
about the reforms that are about to be instituted in Cuba, and will ask
that we wait and see the effect of these changes before we demand a
positive answer to our letter.

The dry-dock has been heard from.

The builders of the dock have received a letter from the captain of the
steamer that is towing it.

The letter was written at Madeira, an island off the western coast of
Africa. In it the captain says that the dry-dock has excellent seagoing
qualities, and that he has no further fear of being able to tow it
safely into port.

Up to the time of writing, the captain had made eleven hundred miles
with his tow, and as he considered the worst part of the voyage over, he
expected to be able to increase the speed a little, and arrive in Cuba
about the 8th of November.

* * * * *

It is stated that his Holiness the Pope is trying to find some means of
bringing the trouble about the excommunication of the Spanish Minister
of Finance to a satisfactory conclusion.

It appears that the Carlists are making great capital out of the affair,
and are using it to turn the Spanish peasants against the Government.

These people are very religious, and regard their priests with great
respect and awe. They wou